[At-home Palliative Care Supported by Interprofessional Work].

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Palliative Care
• Pharmacy Practice

Background:

• Japan is preparing for a super-aged society by 2025, necessitating localized comprehensive care systems.
• Pharmacists are increasingly involved in end-of-life home care for aging populations.
• Community-based care models are essential for enabling individuals to age and die in their preferred home environment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the current situation and challenges of community pharmacists in home-care settings.
• To highlight the importance of interprofessional collaboration for at-home palliative care.
• To understand the needs of home-care patients, particularly those with cancer.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 295 home-care patients over a 10-year period (2007-2017).
• Categorization of patients by illness (cancer vs. other).
• Analysis of patient requests and duration of home care.

Main Results:

• 64% of home-care patients had cancer; 36% had other illnesses.
• Common requests included intravenous nourishment and pain management.
• Over 50% of end-stage cancer patients received home care for 30 days or less.
• High medical dependence, including palliative care, was noted.

Conclusions:

• Early preparation of the home environment based on patient wishes is crucial.
• Pharmacists must foster interprofessional relationships with healthcare, nursing, and welfare providers.
• Strengthening the role of community pharmacists in home-care settings is vital for comprehensive end-of-life support.